I am new here!Travel from Kiev to Rivne need feedback!!

Hi. At Borispol airport you can take a bus (called Skybus, you will not miss it). The bus takes passengers directly to the main train station (the south entrance). You will need to cross the station from the south entrance to the main entrance and walk dawn the street passing McDonalds to your left. In about 50-100 meters to your left you will see a bus station where you will find a number of busses going to/through Rivne. One of the companies that goes there has a big pic of turtle on its buses so you will easily identify the needed bus even without speaking Ukrainian or Russian. The buses depart every hour.

Thank you very much for the information. I have to meet a lady friend in Kiev for a few days before going to Rivne. She works in the city but lives 40 minutes from Kiev called Brovary. So $60 per night for a decent Hotel?  do you have any links for me to go on a web page to book online for a decent hotel? I see Kyiv and Kviv, Kiev? are these all the same? just a mispelled word?
Thank you , Thank you! Greg!
Fred h

Kiev is the Russian version and Kyiv is the Ukrainian version of how to pronounce it. Do not worry about that and use any you like.
I will pm you the link the apartment lender tomorrow as I have it on my working pc.

Hello Greg!
Thank you for your response. Is it better to take the train to Rivne? If so , I want to stay in Kiev to get myself familiarized so I do not get lost .I have been studying the Ukrainian language to get my self to communicate with basic phrases.
How are the locals with foreigners there? Are they use to them? or how do they see them as such people? I know most do not speak English at all but if I speak basic Ukraine, will i have problems with the locals?
Also where do I exchange currency? Do the hotels take dollar currency? I know I need your currency to ride the bus etc. What is the dollar exchange rate at this time?
To summarize it : Train or bus ? what is the fastest non stop without transfer ? and how long is the trip to Rivne?
Where to exchange the currency ? the bank?

Hello Greg, Sorry but you had sent me a separate message and thank you very very much for the information regarding the locals, the Atm machines and to be careful and cautious specially at night in the bad areas!

I guess another question would be , The hotel that i would need should be close to the bus station or the train station.

Thanks again my friend!!

God bless
Fred

B29fred wrote:

Hello Greg, Sorry but you had sent me a separate message and thank you very very much for the information regarding the locals, the Atm machines and to be careful and cautious specially at night in the bad areas!

I guess another question would be , The hotel that i would need should be close to the bus station or the train station.

Thanks again my friend!!

God bless
Fred

The train and bus stations are a few meters away from each other and are located in downtown. There is also a subway station there called "Vokzalna" so you can use it too to get to a train/bus. At the same time you can use a cab. Avarage price will be around UAH 40. But do not agree charges per kilometer and agree on the price from the beggining. Taxi drivers like to overcarge foreigners. Actually, to advocate Ukraine,  I know a guy who was charged USD 150 by a San Francisco taxi driver for taking him just 2 blocks away from the guy's hotel:)

Bus or train it is for you to decide. Buses just go every 30 or 60 minutes and you do not need to book a seat. You just come, ask if there is a free seat, pay in cash and go. It takes around 4 hours to get to Rivne by bus.

I cannot find the link to that apartment. Well I will look more carefully when I get home today later. It must be somewhere.

Hello Greg,
I guess anywhere in the world taxi drivers and foreigners are the perfect match for overcharging:) My friend , all i can say is thank you for the kind and helpful tips. The world could use more people like you! Anytime you ever go to SanFrancisco I will personally help you as well!!.
By the way the bus sounds likd the better option , is it non stop to Rivne without transfer? Do the bus have certain route written on them or just the bus number ? This is why I need to stay in Kiev for a day and get familiar with the place before I go to Rivne. What hotel would you recommend that is closest to the bus station?
Again , thank you for the information!
Fred H

Thanks!
The bus goes directly to Rivne. They usually do one stop for a coffee at a roadside cafe. The buses have the company's logo on them. It is a turtle. You can see the logo on the company's website. It is in the left upper conver of the window: http://www.cherepaha.rv.ua/

Every bus also has a plate on the windshield. The plate reads "Рівне".

As I said I used only one company that leases out apartments. I will try to find their contacts and pm them to you. I rented an apartment to friends of mine. The apartment was about 20 mins walk to the train/bus stations.
There are lots of other leasing companies and hotels on the web but I did not use them so I do not want to recommend  them.

Fred, I pmed you the contacts if the lessor.

Hello Greg thank you for the info for apartment flats ! Are the purpose of those flats for short term traveler use?
Very Cozy pictures look nice!Of coarse Kiev city pricing is very high compare to Rivne has beautiful hotels for half the cost! I will go back in Kiev. But very nice 3D viewing of the flats! very informative and straight forward booking......if i book on line........Is it reliable? I would rather pay cash but book in advance?

My friends used this lessor 3 times at least and were happy with their flats.
You can pay in cash but they require some advanced payment as I remember.
Last time my friends rented accommodation from them a year ago so I do not remember the details.
They speak English so you can email them and ask.
P.S. If you like to meet up when arrive to Kiev, Im alway available (except of working hours)

Hello Gray!!
How are is it going there in Kiev? I am getting signs to abort my trip? 1st the Malaysian tragic loss of innocent lives ! The situation could go do a 180 in a short time? It could get better or worst either way? No one knows?
It does not help that today I fell off the ladder from the second floor inside my garage barn!! I laid there and checked if all parts are working but Man!! I was Lucky!! Splat on my ass and slammed my right forearm on the edge of the washer and I thought I broke my hip!!
I got up and I know something saved my ass from the ER!! Thank God Jesus!! I am alright ! I will take a swollen ass and a bloody swollen Right forearm any day over a broken hip!!

Anyway if I do go>>>>>,
What is your fee?  I need  help me to get from the bus station in Kiev arriving from Rivne trip to Kiev center Hotel-Lux apartment close to Kreshchatik street. 11-August-2014.


I made reservation and thank you for your informations and helpful  suggestions!!
http://www.arendakiev.com/en/apartment_1/252.html   

Do hotels ask and hold passports? I need to safeguard my passport at all times!!
Please advice!


Is it a good Idea to scan my passport, drivers license, Social Sec card and bank cards in lazer color print just in case my credentials get lost or stolen?

I need  to familiarize myself. before I head to Rivne 5- August for 5 days and head back to Kiev on 11-Aug-14 for 4 nights and depart back to the States on 16-Aug-14.

Question? Will my lap top work "Internet" Google maps and I know to bring transformers for 220 volts for electronics? How are the power surge and spikes issues there? I don't want my only life line" My cell phone and laptop to get toasted from power spikes?

Is is safe to Go to Ukraine?

Fred H

Sorry to hear you fell down but I am glad you are Ok more or less.

The MAIN issue is safety. The war takes place on the East of the country. It is calm in Kyiv and Rivne. I do not believe that rebels can come to these cities. However there is a real war in the country and it wont end soon. Even if our army wins tomorrow, there will be hunderds of weapons on the streets and they will be possesed by criminals.
So I cannot advise you on whether you should come or not. You should decide yourself. At the same time I feel safe on the streets of Kyiv and nothing here gives a hint that there is a war.

I do not charge any fee and do not provide any services (except you need a lawyer). I would be happy to meet with you and take your from the airport (I like to meet new people from all over the world and practice my spoken English). But August 11 is Monday and I will be at work. I would be glad to meet with you on a day-off, during my lunch (I work in downtown) or after work.

No, they do not deposit your passport and you should not give it to anyone! It is a good idea to have scanned copies of you ID docs. Keep them uploaded on the web so you could retrieve them anytime.

Re electronics. I guess sparks happen but I have not had problems with them. I guess it is better to use some transformers if you got them.